Hand brake



Sept. 4, 1928.

J. F. O'CONNOR HAND BRAKE F1106 Oct. 9. 192-2 Patented Sept. 4, 1928.

t] ETEEB STATES 1,6833% retest? trier...

jb fi o cb Nqit or oztIcAeo; ILLifior's, ess sltott, BY hmsiin .issi einvinlvrs, To w. H. MINER, me, .a oonrosarroit on DELAIXTARE.

HAND BRAKE.

Application filed October 9, 1922. Serial No. 593187.

This invention relates to improvements in car hand brakes.

One object-of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient hand brake wherein means is provided for rapidly taking up the slack in the brake chain andv subsequently a-utomatically increasing the ratio of the leverage, to exert greater force in the final application of the brakes' ,y

Another object of the inventionis to pro ride, in a hand brake of the Vertical staff type, automatically operated means for multiplying the eifective'ratio of leverage of the chain windin means as the resistance ofi'ered duringthe final application of the brakes increases.

In the drawings forming a part ofthe specification, Figure 1- shows a side elevation of my improved hand brake. Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the limit- 3 of :Fig. 1.. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line4'4 of Fig. 1. And Fig. 5 isa detail elevation of the locking dog arrangement. In said drawings, indicates a vertical brake stafi having suitably secured thereto at its upper end, the hand Wheel 11 and fourn-aledat its lower end in "an opening 12 of the stirrup 13, secured to the bottom of the car by boltsor other means 14. Theupper enlf of the staff 10 is suitably journaledin the usual bracket member indicated by 15. s ecured to the upper portion of the end of the car.

A winding reel 16 is rotatably inou'nted on the Iower end of the brake staff 10, said winding reel comprising upper dlSC l'Z' haV- ing short pests rs rigidly attached; thereto, a lower disc 17 mounted on the staff and enaging the ends of posts 18, and pools 19 re: tatabiy mounted upon the posts-'18; Four spools 19, are provided inthe specific embodt merit herein diselosedand each spdcl qhasa lower guiding flange 20;:radially projecting therefrom to properlyg ide the brake chain 2 1 during the final application tt the brake The upper disc 17 is provided with a verti cally extendingboss; within which is secured by pins 22, a sleeve as which is the rotatably mounted on the staff 10. v

A combined clutch and ratchet element 24 is secured to the upper end oft-he sleeve 23' by suitable; its. 25; Said thrhbiheid clutch the nether emstt fidfiiiiflse a; rtittzhet wires 26 rotatably mounted u )on the staff 10 and provided on its upper ace with clutch teetli and a lower cylindrical hub 28 rotatable wi hin a recess in the usual platform or step 29, mounted on the wall of the car.

A combined clutch housing and ratchet member 30 is non-rotatably mounted on the staff 10 to always rotate therewith. The driving connection between thestaff 10 and the housing 30 comprises .a squared portion 31 on the staff and a co-acting squared recess 1n the upper end of the housing; The lower end of the housing is provided with a radially projecting flange 32 restin upon the ratchet Wheel 26. The peripher'v o f the flange 32 is provided with suitable ratchet teeth 33 corresponding in number and spac to the peripheral ratchet teeth 133 on the ratche wheel 26.

A tihtth element at is vtttittny slijdabl'y mounted upon the squared portioniilgof the staff 10 Within the housingfifl so as to have rotary movement with the-staff. Thelovver face of. the clutch element 34 is provided with clutch teeth 35 co-acting with the eluteh' teeth 27. A

Toloch the staff 10 the the reel 16 against. rotation n an unwinding; direct'i on locking pawls' 3'6 and 37 are provided enga ing re spectively the ratchet teeth 33 and 133; The, paWls StS and 37are pivotall v mounted (in the pivot bolt 38, suitably secured to the platform 29. The pawl 36 is provided with a downwardly projecting h ghs) enga ing w th the (m ter-face or the pa -1' 37, so that when the pawl 37 is inoved'o'nt' at, en agement with the ratchet. wheel 26, the pawl- 36 will necessarily bemovedth erewith and be dis engaged fromthe ratchet teeth 33;, It win h noted'that the paves-are so mount d-that the pawl 36 Inay-ratchetovertlie' teeth. 33., while the pawl anthems-i ti ted; tinge" ment with the ratchet teetlr'of the wheel 6.

One end of the chain 21 is suitably on rtec'ted to" the htakeriggi g' whilethe' ogpo sllle the is anchored to the staff 10 by the-tilt ef the b lt-40.

In the operation of'my improved hand element aettttatihg with th sets mane Hill 1 its gaging the clutch element 27 connected to the reel 16. During this operation, the brake chain 21 will be wound about the spools 19 of the reel, thus taking up the slack and bringing the brake shoes in engagement with the car wheels rapidly.

The inclination of the inter-engaging teeth of the clutch elements is such as to offer sufficient resistance to prevent disengagement of the clutch elements during tne operation of taking up the slack in the brake chain, but the inclination of said teeth is not sufficient to prevent the teeth from ratcheting or slipping over each other upon a greater or predetermined resistance being offered to the turning movement, such as results when the brake shoes are forced firmly into engagement with the car wheel.

During the further rotation of the hand wheel 11 in final application of the braking pressure, the resistance offered will therefore be sufficient to cause the teeth on the clutch element 34 to ride upwardly on the teeth of the co-acting clutch element connected to the reel, thus rendering the clutch elements ineffective, with the result that the reel 16 will remain stationary while the brake staff 10 is further rotated, causing the chain 21 to be wound upon the staff 10 direct. During the winding of-the chain 21. on the staff 10, the rotatably mounted spools acting as anti-friction rolls, will allow the chain to travel freely around the reel, and the pawl 37 will be held in locking engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 26, to prevent backward rotation of the reel, while the pawl 36 will ratchet over the ratchet teeth of the housing 34.

From the preceding description taken in connection with the drawing, it is evident that the winding power is greatly multiplied during the final application of the braking pressure, due to the fact that the chain is then wound directly upon the staff, the diameter of which is only a fraction of the diameter of the reel upon which the chain is first wound.

To release thebrakes, the pawls 36 and 37 are simultaneously disengaged from the ratchet wheels by pushing the free end of the pawl 37 inwardly,the ratchet engaging end of the pawl 36 being moved outwardly by means, of the lug 39 engaging with the pawl 37. p

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but. the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changesand modifications that come within the scope ofthe claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a hand brake for railway cars; the combination with a manually operable verti cal staff about which the brake chain is adapted to be wound; of a member rotatable on said staff about which the brake chain is adapted to be wound also; a clutch interposed between said member and staff; a ratchet secured to said staff; a ratchet secured to said member; and pawl mechanism eoacting with each of said ratchets, said pawls being relatively movable, and being engageable with one another so as to be operable in unison to disengage from said ratchets.

2. In a hand brake for railway cars and the like; the combination with a manually operable vertical staff about which the brake chain is adapted to be wound; of a reel member rotatable on said staff, said reel member including a plurality of rotatable spools arranged for orbital movement around said staff and means for normally connecting said member for rotation with said staff, said means being adapted to be automatically disconnected when a predetermined resistance is reached in the final application of said brake mechanism.

3. In a hand brake for railway cars and the like; the combination with a manually operable vertical staff about which the brake chain is adapted to be Wound; of a reel member rotatable on said staff, said reel member including a plurality of rotatable spools arranged for orbital movement around said staff; means for normally connectin' said member for rotation with said sta said means being adapted to be automatically disconnected when a predetermined resistance is reached in the final application of said brake mechanism; and means for securing the brake chain to the staff.

4. In a hand brake for railway cars and the like, the combination with a brake-staff about which a brake chain is adapted to be wound; of a reel member rotatable on said staff, said reel member includin a plurality of rotatable spools spaced radia. 1y from the rotational axis of said staff; and means for normally connecting said member for rota tion with said staff, and automatically operable to disconnect the same when a predetermined resistance is reached in applying the brakes.

5. In a hand brake for railway cars, the combination with means adapted to removably engage the brake-chain so as to deflect the same and take upthe slack therein; .of mechanism connected to said chain for tensioning the same, said means and said mechanism being arranged for operative movements one within the other; and means permitting cessation of taking up movement of said first named means when said mechanism is tensioning the chain.

6. In a hand brake for railway cars, the combination with mechanism connected to one end of brake chain for tensionin the same, the opposite end of said chain being connected with the brake rigging proper; of means adapted to engage thechain between.

Ill?) its ends to take up the slack therein; and cooperable means for rendering said means quiescent when said mechanism is tensioning the chain, said co-operable means being automatically controlled through predetermined resistance in the brake rigging.

7. In a hand brake for railway cars, the combination with means about which the brake chain is wound. said means including elements automatically operable to take up variable amounts of slack in the brake chain; of mechanism about which said chain is wound for tensioning said chain; and means for actuating said first named means and mechanism, said chain being connected at one end to said tensioning mechanism and at its other end to the brake rigging proper, said chain having its slack taken up interi'nediate its ends.

8. I11 a hand brake for railway cars, the combination with means for Winding up the slack in the brake chain; of mechanism for tensioning said chain so as to tighten the same during the application of the brakes; and means automatically controllable by the resistance in said brake chain for rendering said first named means inoperative to wind said chain when said mechanism is tensioningthe chain, said chain being arranged to travel with respect to said first named means when the latter is rendered inoperative.

9. In a hand brake for railway cars, the combination with a winding element having one end of a brake chain connected thereto,

the opposite end of said chain being connected with the brake rigging proper; of a rotatable winding member engaging said brake chain between its ends and adapted to wind variable amounts of said chain thereon dependent upon the degree of rotation; and mechanism for driving said rotatable mcn'lber and permitting cessation of rotatable movement of said rotatable member, con tinued movement of said winding element causing travel of said chain with respect to said rotatable member.

10. In a hand brake for railway cars. the combination with a winding element having one end of a brake chain connected thereto, the opposite end of said chain being connected with the brake rigging proper; of a rotatable winding member engaging said brake chain between its ends and adapted to wind variable amounts of said chain thereon dependent upon the degree of rotation; and mechanism for driving said rotatable member and permitting cessation of rotatable movement of said rotatable member, continued movement of said winding element causing travel of said chain with respect to said rotatable member. said mechanism being automatically controllable by difference in tension in said brake rigging.

ln witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22nd day of September 1922.

JOHN F. OCONNOR. 

